Adjustable bracket for supporting umbrella or the like



Feb. 4, 1958 M. c. JOHANSEN E I 2,822,143

ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR SUPPORTING UMBRELLA OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Mmmev Ljm-vmsrm Tmskmh A'v'voszhavs Feb. 4, 1958 M. c. JOHANSEN 2,822,143

ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR SUPPORTING UMBRELLA OR THE LIKE led Sept4 20, 1954 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r E g, E

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WLVREV Q. Box-muse ATTQRHEYS United States Patent ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR SUPPORTING UMBRELLA OR THE LIKE Mildred C. Johansen, Benicia, Calif.

Application September 20, 1954, Serial No. 456,988 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-41) This invention relates to a new and improved adjustable bracket for supporting articles such as umbrellas, parasols, and the like.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel, adjustable bracket assembly for supporting articles such as umbrellas and parasols to various types of primary supports, such as, for example, golf bag carts, earth driven stakes or posts, and/or numerous other types and kinds of structures adjacent which a user requires or desires overhead protection from the sun or from inclement weather.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a supporting bracket having the wide adaptability above mentioned, and which is further constructed so as to provide maximum adjustability and flexibility whereby the umbrella or parasol supported thereby can be easily and rapidly moved and clamped in any desired adjusted position of use.

'Numerous other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bracket embodying the invention shown attached to the handle of a golf bag cart. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the present bracket supported to an earth driven stake or post.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the present bracket unit viewed from above showing said unit attached to a secondary bracket fixture.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the bracket showing portions thereof broken away in section and showing portions thereof in exploded relationship is broken lines. ,lig. Sis a perspective view viewed from above of the bracket "showing in broken lines the adjustability of certain elements and showing other portions broken away in section.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front 'elevational view of the split ball type clamp assembly of the bracket.

I Fig. 7' is a fragmentary sectional view taken'on line 7--7 of Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 4, and 6, the bracket unit therein disclosed and indicated generally at A comprises an L-shaped body portion or section 10 which may be formed of sheet metal, such as heavy gauge stamped sheet aluminum, defining substantially perpendicularly disposed legs 11 and 12. As will more fully hereinafter appear, leg 12 supports a split ball clamp assembly, indicated generally at 13, whereas leg 11 provides a mounting for the ring clamp assembly, indicated generally at 14.

The ring clamp assembly 14 comprises, more specifically, two sections of sheet metal or similar material 16 and 17 which in cross-section are shaped and proportioned to establish complementary arcuate clamping surfaces indicated at 16 and 17, respectively. The outer ends of sections 16 and 17 are formed with registering apertures through which a bolt or machine screw 18 may be projected and which latter element is adapted to thread edly receive a wing nut 19. The inner ends of sections 16 and 17 and the outer end portion of leg 11 are formed with registering apertures through which a bolt or machine screw 21 can be projected for threadedly receiving wing nut 22. v

The bolt and wing nut assemblies 1819 and 21-22 may be utilized and operated to releasably clamp the bracket structure to a primary support. More specifically, by loosening or removing either one or both of the wing nuts 19 and 22, the arcuate clamping surfaces 16 and 17 of the ring clamp assembly 14 may be engaged and clamped to whatever primary supporting structure is handily available such as, for example, the handle 23 of a golf cart 24 (as shown in Fig. 1) or the shank 26 of an earth driven stake 24 (as shown in Fig. 2). In the event it is desired to support an umbrella or similar article in a location where no primary support exists to which the ring clamp assembly 14 can be conveniently mounted, a simple secondary bracket fixture, such as indicated at 28, may be provided and which can be screwed or otherwise anchored to a given structure adjacent which it is desired to mount the bracket unit A. The fixture 28 may be formed as a handrail or grip having a cylindrical portion 29 to which the wing clamp 14 maybe readily affixed. A fixture of the type indicated at 28 has been found to have particular utility in mounting the bracket unit A to wooden structures such as small boats, platforms, fences and the like, which may not otherwise provide a conveniently located fixture to which the ring clamp could be mounted.

It is appreciated that after the ring clamp 14 is initially clamped to a primary support of the character above mentioned, the entire bracket unit may be adjustably rotated about the axis of the arcuate clamping surfaces 16 and 17 to any desired angular position. This may be accomplished simply by unloosening either one of the wing nuts 19 or 22 to permit manual rotation of the bracket around said clamping axis, and then retightening the said wing nut after the bracket has been rotated to desired adjusted angular position.

Bolt and wing nut assembly 21-22 also establishes 'a second axis of rotation, disposed perpendicular to the ring clamp axis of rotationabove mentioned and about which the bracket unit may also be angularly adjusted. More specifically, by loosening wing nut 22, the L-shaped bracket body 10 can be angularly rotated about the axis of bolt 21. To insure against accidental rotational movement between bracket 10 and ring clamp assembly 14 after these parts have been rotated into desired angularly adjusted position, the adjacent surfaces of ring clamp member 16 and leg 11 of the bracket member 10 may be formed with a plurality of complementary mutually engageable detents and bosses such as indicated at 31 and 32, respectively. It will be appreciated that once the bracket has been rotated to any desired position with respect to the ring clamp assembly, the parts will remain securely locked in adjusted position by virtue of mutual engagement between said detents and bosses. Fig. 5 discloses in broken lines various positions of relative angular rotation between the ring clamp assembly and the bracket 10.

The split ball clamp assembly heretofore indicated generally at 13 is shown as comprising, more specifically, an oblate sphere 33 which is flattened or truncated at its opposite poles 33 and 33 The sphere is formed with a split or gap 34 extending parallel to a meridian line thereof. The sphere is also formed with an enlarged aperture 36 extending through its polar axis for receiving and 3 clamping the shank or handle portion of an umbrella, parasol or other article to be supported by the bracket.

Split ball 33 is mounted to the bracket unit 10 by complementary retaining apertures orsockets for-med respec: tively in leg 12 of unit 10 and in clamping plate 37 More specifically, leg 12 is formed with an enlarged; socket or aperture having its periphery defined by an outwardly extending flange or shoulder 38, the inner surface of which is contoured to the general shape and configura-v tion of the curvature of the sphere 33. The largest di-. ameter of the flanged socket 38 is made slightly smaller than the equatorial diameter of the sphere 33 whereby when the sphere is nested within the socket aperture, the inner surface of flange 38 engages the sphere around a latitudinal parallel of the sphere adjacent its equator and located to the pole 33 side of said equator.

Clamping plate 37 is formed with a similar ball receiw ing socket complementary in shape and size to aperture 39 formed in bracket leg 12. More. specifically, clamping plate 37 is formed with a flanged socket 42,, the inner annular surface of which is proportioned to engage the sphere adjacent its equator but toward the pole 33 side thereof.

As shown in Fig. 4, the apertured clamping plate 37 in conjunction with the apertured bracket leg 12 functions to maintain the split ball socket 33 in adjustably clamped position with reference to bracket member 10. In this regard, the outer end extremities of bracket leg 12 terminates in a re-entrantly turned lip or flange 46 defining a clamping plate receiving recess 47. The split ball 9 33 may be adjustably mounted to the bracket through the clamping action of the apertured plate 37 against one side of the ball and with the other side of the ball received within the flanged aperture 39 of the leg 12. The clamping action of the plate is efiected through tightening of a wing nut 48 threadedly mounted on machine screw 49 which, in turn, is adapted to project through suitable registering apertures formed in leg 12 and plate 37. In this connection, when the parts are in their condition of assembly as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, tightening of wing nut 48 will have a tendency to forcefully move the complementary flanged apertures 39 and 41 relatively closer together, which said action in turn tends to squeeze and restrict the diameter of the split ball 33 and cause tight clamping engagement of the ball socket around the umbrella or parasol handle 45 inserted within aperture 36.

It is also appreciated that by loosening wing nut 48, the split ball socket can be revolved within its supporting assembly whereby the axis of aperture 36 can be angularly adjusted in any direction with respect to the plane of bracket leg 12. Moreover, by temporarily loosening wing nut 48 and therebyrelieving the clamping pressure of the split ball against the umbrella or similar article received within aperture 36, the said handle or other article can be moved slidably in the direction of its longitudinal axis Within said aperture, and this afiords a further means for adjust-ably moving the parasol or umbrella to any desired adjusted position.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that numerous changes and modifications may be practiced within the spirit of the invention as limited only by the scope of the claim appended hereto.

I claim:

In an adjustable bracket unit for supporting an umbrella or similar object, the combination inelndingabnacket body centrally deformed to define first and second perpendicularly disposed legs, a ring clamp assembly provided adjacent the outer end of said first leg for removably mounting said bracket unit to a primarysupport, said assembly including first and second clamping sections centrally deformed with complementary arcuate clamping surfaces, screw means for adjustably tightening and untightening said clamping surfaces relatively toward and y fr a P m r nqr P itioned b t een. said s f ce to be l mp d sr b l and e i n a rst of; rotation about which said unit can be rotated to. adjusted po relative to d Primary s rnqr s id in clamp assembly ofiset from and pivotally secured tq s a id first leg providing a second axis of rotation substantially perpendicularly disposed to said first axis of rotationabont which said unit can be rotated unimpeded by said ring clamp s e y, a p t a c a c is n a spher formed with an aperture extending in the direction of its polar axis to slidably receive an article to be clamped, said split ball formed with a single slot through the body of h e l n e i an n h r o a firs b l receiving socket formed through said second leg proper: tioned to receive and engage the body of said sphere adja-. cent its equator to a first side of said equator, a clamping plate formed with a second ball receiving socket pnoporw tioned to receive and engage the body of said sphere adja-v cent its equator and to the second side of said equator, said slotted sphere formed of a resilient material normally biasing said second leg and clamping plate apart, said SQQ'. ond leg terminating in a reeentrantly turned lip: defining a channel recess removably and hingedly receiving a first end of said clamping plate, a single actuating screw means adjacent the second end of said clamping plate. for forcefully moving said plate toward or away from said second leg to selectively vary the clampingfpressure of said ball receiving sockets against the body. oi said sphere causing clamping and unclamping of said split hall relative to said article to permit said article to beslidably and adjustably positioned within said split ball.

en e i d n e le t s Pa en UNITED STATES PATENTS 153,813 Dewey Ang. 4,1874

640,446 Converse Ian." 2,, 19. 0

1,735,212 Pausat Nov. 12 I929 FOREIGN PATENTS 705,760 France of 1931 

